Day three of the 2017 Big 12 conference tournament is in the books. Here’s where things stand.
The Big 12 tournament final is set and the top two remaining seeds will face-off on Saturday with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
Here’s a look at the update bracket. Click to enlarge.
In the day’s opening contest, the Iowa State Cyclones ended the TCU Horned Frogs’ tournament hopes with an 84-63 blowout win. The Horned Frogs couldn’t find the same magic that allowed them to upset top-seeded Kansas in the quarterfinals while Iowa State, powered by a surge of Cyclones fans, scored a blistering 1.29 points per possession. Deonte Burton led the way with 22 points, four rebounds and four assists.
RELATED: Updated 2017 NCAA Tournament Bracket
In the nightcap, the West Virginia Mountaineers needed a late free throw to get past the Kansas State Wildcats. Sophomore Esa Ahmad was fouled on an offensive rebound attempt with 19 seconds remaining. Ahmad missed the first of two free throws, but made the second to give the Moutaineers the win. Kansas State failed to get off a clean look on the final possession of the game even after getting a timeout to set up one last play. The Wildcats will now await a tense Selection Sunday as they hold out hope that their quarterfinal win over the Baylor Bears will be enough to get them into the field of 68.
Next: Florida's defense could power a March run
The Big 12’s double round robin scheduling means that the final will be the third meeting of the season between Iowa State and West Virginia. The Mountaineers swept the regular season series with an 85-72 win in Ames and an 87-76 victory at home in Morgantown. In both games, Iowa State turned the ball over at a higher rate than their season average, giving West Virginia plenty of opportunities for easy baskets. That ball security figures to once again play a pivotal role on Saturday.